Cold Snap
by PrincessTiva
Summary: "She didn't hate the snow. She hated the loneliness of snow and the memories, the thoughts that came with it." When snow falls in Israel, Ziva can't help but think about the one person she misses most. Tiva. Post 11x02. Now a two-parter.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hellooooo :) So, I heard about the snow in Israel and just HAD to write this :)  
Summary: **"She didn't hate the snow. She hated the loneliness of snow and the memories, the thoughts that came with it." When snow falls in Israel, Ziva can't help but think about the one person she misses most. Tiva. Post 11x02.  
**Disclaimer: **I still don't own NCIS or any of it's characters ;)  
**Please enjoy reading! :)  
**

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_"The snow itself is lonely.  
__There is no other time  
when __the whole world  
seems __composed of one thing  
__and one thing only."  
_

* * *

Ziva stared out of her window, watching the snowflakes fall from the sky. Everything was white outside and to be honest, she hated it. She didn't hate the snow. She hated the loneliness of snow and the memories, the thoughts that came with it.

There hadn't really been snow in Israel in years. At least, she had never experienced it. She'd grown up without ever seeing snow. The first time she'd seen snow in her entire life had been that first December in Washington.

And now here she was, in Israel, and there was snow. People around here claimed that there hadn't been any snow in over sixty years. She couldn't know though. And really, it didn't matter.

She sighed as she looked around the garden behind the house. It was beautiful, yes. But that didn't make it less painful. Things had been okay so far and she had started to get used to not having everyone, especially Tony around.

The Holiday Season had been the hardest few weeks so far but eventually she'd gotten that under control as well. Up until now. Christmas was only one and a half weeks away and all she could think about was spending Christmas with her family in Washington, with _Tony_.

Sure, she didn't exactly celebrate Christmas but she still enjoyed the Season with her family and friends in Washington. She hadn't really realized how much she actually missed them all until it had started to snow.

The snow was a reminder of Washington, of the past Christmases with the team, of the fact that she wasn't just here for a summer vacation. Ziva grabbed her coat and opened the door to the backyard.

She needed some fresh air, needed to clear her thoughts. As the cold air hit her, she pulled her coat closer around her. She had never experienced Israel like this.

Some people would probably assume it was making her feel better, that the snow was comforting for her because she longed to be in Washington. But that wasn't true at all.

If anything, the snow made things harder. She didn't want snow in Israel. She wanted snow in Washington. Ziva walked along the trees and eventually came to a stop. It was the spot where she'd buried the list with Tony, where he'd told her he could change with her.

It had been the start to something beautiful. But she hadn't been ready. She'd sent him away. Ziva crouched down and touched the ground that was covered in snow. A single tear escaped her eye as the memories overwhelmed her.

God, she hadn't known snow could cause so many emotions to come to the surface. She allowed herself to fall to her knees and tried to fight the urge to cry. However, she wasn't very successful.

Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks, but she didn't even bother to wipe them away. She had actually been expecting a breakdown sooner rather than later. She just hadn't expected it to be caused by stupid snow.

With shaking hands she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and managed to dial an all too familiar number. She just couldn't take it anymore. She needed to hear his voice. After just two rings, he picked up.

"Hello?", his voice sounded over the phone. A strangled sob escaped her throat. _Tony_. "Hello?", he asked again. She'd gotten a new phone, so there was no way he could have known it was her.

"T-Tony", she whispered, her voice cracking. She could hear his sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Ziva", he breathed. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. The most beautiful thing she'd heard in months.

"Are you okay?", he eventually asked when she didn't say anything. His voice sounded concerned. "It has started to snow", she stated in barely above a whisper. She had no idea how but he seemed to understand exactly what she was saying.

"It's okay, Ziva. I miss you too", he said softly. Another sob escaped her throat. "Where are you, Ziva?", he then asked. "The place where we buried the box", she told him.

"Aren't you cold?", he questioned immediately. She hadn't even noticed the shivers that were racking through her body. Somehow, the cold hadn't mattered. Nothing did lately.

"I am", she whispered. "Go inside, okay? I won't hang up", he urged her. She got up and walked back to the house, releasing a breath she didn't know she'd been holding when the warmth surrounded her again.

She walked over to the couch and sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest. "It never snows here", she told him out of nowhere. She could hear him sigh. "I know, Ziva", Tony said.

"Perhaps it is a sign", she mused. He chuckled: "What kind of sign?" Upon hearing his laugh, his usual self, she relaxed and lowered her knees again, stretching out on the couch.

"That something is not right", she stated. She hadn't intended to reply seriously but somehow it had just happened. "Ziva, don't question your decision. I understand", he assured her but somehow it didn't really do the trick this time.

"I do not want snow in Israel", she said bitterly. "Well, then ignore it", he suggested, laughing. Usually, she would have laughed along with him. But not this time. This was far too serious. "I cannot", she stated.

"I know", he sighed. They were quiet for a while and it was Tony who broke the silence first: "There hasn't been a single snowflake in DC yet." She swallowed hard. It was seriously strange. Definitely like something wasn't right.

And that something was that she was in Israel while her family was in Washington. Why did she make that decision again? "Do you miss the snow?", she asked carefully.

She wasn't even sure whether she had intentionally implied the question whether he'd like to come to Israel. But she was pretty sure he could hear the implication.

"I don't need snow for Christmas", he stated and she was on the verge of tears. If he had really heard the implied question, he apparently didn't care about her anymore.

"All I want for Christmas is you", he then said. "That is a song", she commented before she could stop herself. He chuckled. "Yes, it is. And it's cliché, but you're all I need to be happy this Christmas", he explained.

Her heart skipped a beat and suddenly she wasn't cold at all anymore. "I am not sure whether I am ready yet. I do not want to mess up anything", she told him honestly.

It was the truth after all. She had no idea whether she was healed yet. Maybe she needed more time, maybe she didn't. But she didn't want to take any chances.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to come here. I just..can you tell me?", he asked, sounding incredibly scared. She didn't need to ask to know what he meant. "I love you, Tony", she told him softly.

She heard his sigh of relief loud and clear and couldn't help but smile brightly. "I love you, too", he whispered back. After a moment of comfortable silence, Ziva spoke up again: "Perhaps I could show you the snow on a video call."

She could literally picture Tony's grin. "I'm at work right now. But I'm willing to get up in the middle of the night for a video call date", he offered. "That sounds wonderful", she agreed.

Just as she was about to hang up, his voice filled her ears again: "I'm glad you called, Ziva." She smiled. "I am glad as well", she told him. She hung up and smiled at the phone in her hands. Yes, she was definitely glad she'd called him.

Ziva looked out of the window again. Somehow, the snow didn't seem so bad anymore. In fact, it was beautiful.

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**A/N: yes, I cried. Did you?  
Please let me know what you think in the reviews section! :) LOVE to hear your thoughts :)  
I'm gonna write a new chapter for "Silver Lining" now :))  
If you have any requests for Christmas drabbles/fics, you can submit them until Monday :) Looking forward to them!  
Ugh, FFN didn't save the editing. Hope it works now haha :D  
Love y'all,  
~ C.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So many people asked me to continue this, so I decided I would just go for it ;)  
Please enjoy reading! :)  
**

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_"I miss you and nothing hurts like no you.  
No one understands what we went through.  
It was short, it was sweet, we tried."  
~ "Dear Darlin'" by Olly Murs_

* * *

Tony took a deep breath as he approached the door. He had hinted what he was about to do but he was pretty sure she hadn't taken it seriously. To be honest, he was slightly worried what her reaction would be. If she was in the same mood as three weeks ago when they'd talked on the phone and through a video call, she'd be happy to see him. But if she wasn't..well he'd be screwed. Of course, he had known about the risk all along. He knew there was a strong possibility that she'd reject him. But he'd still been willing to take the chance. And so, he'd requested personal time, gotten on a plane to Israel and well, here he was.

Trying to convince himself that this was indeed the right thing to do, he knocked on the door carefully. For an awful long moment nothing happened. He couldn't even hear footsteps behind the door. However, then someone did approach the door from the other side and only seconds later the door swung open and his breath caught in his throat.

"Tony," Ziva breathed.

She stared at him in surprise. She had definitely not expected him to actually come here. When they'd talked through the video chat three weeks ago, he'd told her he wanted to see the snow for real and had half-joking, half-seriously declared he'd come over to Israel to check out the snow. However, she hadn't expected him to actually do it.

"Is it still cold?," he asked softly.

A huge smile spread across her face and before she could even think about anything else, she had taken a step forward and fell into his arms. He held her close to his chest and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. Her arms went around his neck as she pulled him even closer to her. God, how she'd missed him, how she'd missed having physical contact with him.

"Not anymore," she whispered into his ear before kissing his skin there softly.

He shivered when her lips made contact with his skin. It had been far too long. He'd missed her so much. Her touch. Her kisses. Her smile. Her laugh. Just her.

"You're not gonna ask me again why I'm here, are you?" Tony asked carefully as she pulled back to look into his eyes.

She chuckled softly and cupped his cheek. He leaned into the touch easily and she leaned closer until her forehead was resting against his.

"I do not think I have to," she whispered.

"I wanted to see the snow," he joked, shrugging.

"Of course you did."

"Well, that and I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too."

Before he was able to say anything else, her lips were on his and dear God, how he'd missed that feeling. She seemed to feel the same way because she pressed her body even closer to his, trying to get as close as possible.

"Do you want to come in?" she eventually asked.

He smiled at her. "I thought you'd never ask."

Wordlessly he let her guide him into her house. He was surprised to notice that she didn't change much about the place. There were a few more books here and there and she bought a TV. He couldn't help but grin when he noticed a few DVDs in front of the TV. Movies he loves. Seemed like she did pay attention to his rambling after all.

"Do you want anything to drink? Eat? You must be exhausted after the flight," Ziva asked softly, heading into the kitchen.

He was quick to catch her arm and spin her around though. Once they were face to face again, he leaned in and kissed her lips yet again.

"I don't need anything to eat or drink," he mumbled against her lips.

Her chuckle vibrated in her chest and made his heart beat even faster. God, the things she was able to do to him.

"You came here for the snow, yes?" she asked again.

He groaned. "That's just a bonus point."

She cocked her head and smiled at him. "I just thought you might like to go for a walk in the snow, yes?"

That idea he did like. A huge grin spread across his face and he grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers and pulled her towards the door. She giggled at his sudden enthusiasm and somehow managed to grab her coat and keys on their way to the door.

They walked side-by-side in silence for a while, nobody dared to say a word in fear it would ruin the moment. And for now, they were both content with just being close to each other. At some point, his arm found it's way around her waist and he pulled her into his side.

"Are you here to bring me home?" Ziva asked eventually.

He sighed and came to a sudden stop in the snow. He looked around and couldn't help but wonder whether it was fate that they'd come to a stop here. It was the exact same place they'd stood three months ago. He stood in front of her and wrapped both arms around her waist, holding her to him.

"If you want to come with me, I won't say no. But if you're not ready, I'm not gonna pressure you into anything, Ziva," he told her softly.

She rested her forehead against his. "I am not sure, Tony."

The regret was clearly evident in her voice but he wasn't surprised by her answer. He hadn't expected her to suddenly be ready just because he decided to come to Israel.

"That's okay," he whispered, his eyes closed as he inhaled her scent.

She closed her eyes as well and her hands came up to frame his face, her fingers gently caressing his cheeks. It was funny. This was the exact same position they'd been in three months ago. The only difference was that now they were closer. Not just closer together but a step closer to finally being with each other for real.

"What are we doing?" She eventually managed to ask.

She could hear his sharp intake of breath. But she didn't dare to speak again. With bated breath she waited for him to reply.

"I don't know, Ziva," he admitted eventually.

She could feel tears pooling in her eyes. To be honest, she had hoped for a different answer.

When she didn't reply, he spoke up again: "We can't pretend that this is nothing."

Upon hearing his words she released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Her voice was shaking when she repeated her question. "What are we doing, Tony?"

By now they'd both opened their eyes and were looking at each other again. She could see the pain and insecurity but also the love in his eyes. And she was pretty sure he was able to see the same in her eyes. He had been right after all. Her eyes never shut up.

"Ziva.." His voice sounded pleading and she could see tears pooling in his eyes.

He was begging her not to make him say it. He didn't want to say it because he feared she'd reject him. It was all there in his eyes. She was able to tell.

"We are not partners anymore," he eventually managed to say, his voice clearly laced with tears.

"This is not what friends would do," she whispered back.

"And it's not what siblings would do either," he added.

They were silent for a moment, neither daring to speak out what they were both thinking about. But eventually Ziva couldn't take it anymore.

"What are we doing?" she repeated her question yet again.

Three times was the charm after all, wasn't it? And apparently it applied here as well. Tony's expression suddenly changed. He looked more determined than before. His mind seemed to be set.

"We're having a very-long-distance relationship," he whispered almost inaudibly.

Her heart skipped a beat, possibly two. Finally. She'd waited so long to hear those words. They had finally defined the thing between them, they'd finally put a label on it. They were in a relationship. Very-long-distance or not. It was still a committed relationship.

"I want this to work," she whispered.

A smile spread across his face and she couldn't help but smile as well. This was it. They were finally on the same page. Well, almost. She still needed to find the right way for herself. But she knew that it'd be easier now. She'd be ready soon. She just knew.

"Ziva?" His voice was soft and sounded almost scared.

She caressed his cheek again. "Yes?"

"Please don't run, okay?"

"Why would I..?"

His lips on hers cut her off. Why would she run because he kissed her? It wasn't like they hadn't done that before. They had even kissed only minutes ago. So, what was going on?

"I love you."

His voice was barely above a whisper and his lips moved against hers with every syllable he spoke. Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes fluttered open, immediately locking onto his.

"Tony," she breathed.

He closed his eyes, pain etched to his features. Obviously, he'd taken her reaction the wrong way.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

Immediately his eyes opened again and he stared at her with wide eyes. "You..really?"

She nodded. "I told you three months ago, remember?"

Yeah, he remembered that moment all too well. Seriously too well sometimes. Coming to think about it, she had indeed told him. In a round-about-way, yes. But she'd still told him.

"We're gonna make this work, right?"

He sounded so insecure that it broke her heart into a million tiny pieces. She kissed him on the lips gently, trying to reassure him with her actions first.

Then her words followed. "We are going to make this work."

Their lips met again in a slow, yet passionate kiss and both poured their feelings into that one kiss. They were going to make this work. No matter how long it took them. But they were on the right track already. All they had to do now was walk forward. Together.

When they broke the kiss, Ziva smiled softly and snuggled against his chest.

"It has started to snow," she said just like she'd done three weeks ago on the phone.

Tony looked around them and kissed the top of her head. It had indeed started to snow. But they were together, so the snow didn't bring loneliness. It brought peace. They were here. They were together. They were going to be okay.

"I know. But it's beautiful, isn't it?" he replied.

She smiled up at him, her arms tightening around his middle as she snuggled even closer to him.

"Yes, it is beautiful."

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**A/N: I love snow haha :D  
Please let me know what you think in the reviews section! :) I'd love to hear whether you liked this or not :)  
Love y'all,  
~ C.**


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